The Rift

Minerva Chadwick nee Hawk leaned against the railing at the stern of the Hawk Family owned and operated Merchant Airship, the Valor of the Sky. She stared at the writhing scene below, captivated by her imagination of what created the disturbances she could see.

“Captain, what kind of creatures live in the Rift?”

Captain Nicodemus Hawk handed off the controls of the ship to the navigator and walked over to join Minerva.

“No one knows”, he said looking out over the railing, “none of our devices have ever been able to penetrate the clouds that you see, and no one that has ever ventured in has ever returned.“

“A bit melodramatic don’t you think Captain?”

“Not if it’s the truth. Why else do you think we still have these mechanical airships? They are the only thing that can go over the Rift. No other electronic device can even get close before it shorts out. Even the ones carried in airships go dead when they get close to the border. “

“So the field, or whatever, that disable electronics extends upward from the surface?”

“For as high as we have been able to explore yes. Some speculate that it extends outside the atmosphere itself and into space.”

“Is that possible?”

“You are the one with the scientific mind Minerva, you tell me, “ the Captain smiled, “The only other thing I can tell you is that humans cannot stay too long near the Rift without getting very sick.”

“Almost like whatever shuts off the devices is trying to shut off the body as well?”

“That is a good way to look at it.”

“How very interesting. How very interesting indeed. I would very much like to know what could survive in that environment.”